


Binary Star

by mylittlecthulhu (marineko)



Series: Red Shift [7]
Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-18
Updated: 2010-09-18
Packaged: 2018-02-11 13:22:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2069823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marineko/pseuds/mylittlecthulhu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Binary Star: A system of two stars in which one revolves around the other, or they both revolve around a common centre of gravity. (Ficlet)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Binary Star

> Binary Star: A system of two stars in which one revolves around the other, or they both revolve around a common centre of gravity.

  
  
  
Aiba rubbed at his eyes blearily with one hand, as he fumbled with his keys with the other. Even before he pushed open the front door, he could hear the faint sounds of the television. Nino was still in the same position he was in when Aiba had left for work, playing the same game.  
  
“Didn’t you move at all?” Aiba asked, instead of his usual “I’m home.” He closed the door, locking it, and dumped his keys on the coffee table as he sat next to Nino.  
  
“Unh,” Nino grunted. “I think I got up to pee a couple of times. And eat. I’m pretty sure there was food at some point.”  
  
If there was food, Aiba was willing to bet that it was cup ramen. He thought of saying something, or at least threatening to tell Yukie - she wasn’t beyond marching up to Tokyo and making sure Nino ate better, so Aiba was pretty sure that it was one threat that Nino would listen to. But then remembered a conversation he had with Jun a couple of days back, and he fixed a smile on his face.  
  
“Hey,” he said, “guess what.”  
  
Not looking up from his game, Nino said, “what.”  
  
“I signed us up to represent the store for baseball!”  
  
Nino paused his game, and turned to Aiba. “I don’t work at some weird yakiniku place. I work at a small video store, and we don’t have a baseball team.” He paused. “Plus, doesn’t Yaki ni Iku lose every year?”  
  
Aiba beamed. “Yup! It’s tradition.” When Nino rolled his eyes, and was about to turn back to his game, Aiba hurriedly said, “anyway, since there’s only five of us in the staff, we’re allowed to ask our friends to join our team. I was going to get Jun-chan, but he’s working overtime a lot lately, since he’s saving for a new guitar, and we need to get new amps, I think... our current ones are a little quirky lately, aren’t they, and -”  
  
“Aiba,” Nino interrupted. “You’re rambling again.”  
  
“Oh. Right. Um. Where was I? Jun-chan can’t join us, so I signed you up for our team.”  
  
“I’m busy. Get Kinoshita, or something.”  
  
“But Takeshi’s already invited Riki-kun. And since Ito-chan said she’s getting her boyfriend to play in her place, and he’s getting his best friend to join, and Tomo is getting his best friend, too, I thought having you join us would be  _perfect_  because we’ll be the All Best Friends Team! Since our philosophy is always to have fun no matter what -”  
  
“That’s because you always lose,” Nino muttered, glancing at his game longingly. He had two full days off a week, but one of those days was always reserved for practise or shows, so he only had the other day for gaming. And his day was quickly coming to an end.  
  
“Well, they’ve never seen Super Masaki yet,” Aiba insisted. “With my -”  
  
“Okay, okay,” Nino said, interrupting again. “I’ll play. But I’m definitely not going with your stupid store tradition of always losing the first game.”  
  
“I don’t know if Riki-kun or Takeshi would like that,” Aiba mused. “Since winning games means more games, which means less time for band activities.”  
  
“Red Shift doesn’t have any problems, I don’t see why their band should have any.”  
  
“That’s true.” Aiba picked up the controller in Nino’s hands absently, and saved the game before quitting.  
  
“Hey! I was playing that!”  
  
“We’re going out for dinner,” Aiba announced brightly. “Then we’re meeting Jun-chan, who said that there’s an awesome band playing near his place at nine.”  
  
Scowling, Nino said, “then why don’t you just go with him? You don’t need me to tag along.”  
  
“But, Nino,” Aiba replied, dragging his words, “you need to get out more.”  
  
“No,  _you_  need to stay in more,” Nino said, unimpressed with Aiba’s puppy dog expression. “I’m immune to that look of yours now, so don’t even try it.” He leaned to take the controller back from Aiba, but stopped when Aiba’s face crumpled. “Aiba?”  
  
“Nino, please?” Aiba’s voice sounded small, and it jarred with the loudness and enthusiasm he had spoken with earlier.   
  
Nino tried to think of all the things that could have gone wrong - perhaps Aiba had a bad day at work, with especially horrid customers, or was yelled at by his boss. Or maybe it was the letter they had just received from Sugimoto, their ex-band mate who was now living overseas, that had made Aiba in a needy mood.  
  
Then he remembered the date.  _Of course_. He felt like hitting himself for not remembering earlier. It was exactly two years ago when Sho had announced that he was leaving their band, and starting a solo career. He looked at Aiba again, wondering if he should say something, but Aiba was just looking at him expectantly, so he told Aiba that he’d be ready to go in ten minutes.  
  
Aiba’s recovery was instant, and his smile lit up his face again, but as Nino headed to his room, he wondered how much Aiba wasn’t telling him.  _Maybe he doesn’t really remember what day it is_ , Nino thought.  _Maybe he’s really just not in a good mood about something else_.  
  


})i({

  
  
A little more than ten minutes later, the two of them bounded down their apartment, Aiba humming some tune that had been playing at the restaurant all day. Recognising the song, Nino joined in, even as it was starting to dawn on him that baseball practise was going to eat up the rest of his precious free time.


End file.
